A Bohemian painter born in Prague, the life of this artist of abundance and splendor is poorly documented. In 1683, we find the first trace of him as a pupil of Christian Berentz and as a member of the Painters' Guild in Prague.

He was active in Rome from 1694 to 1721, collaborating with Francesco Trevisani and Michele Rocca. With sufficient success, Pfeiler carved out a leading role for himself on the lively Roman art scene of the early 18th century, and it's well known that the Eternal City's many important people commissioned his sumptuous floral compositions and extravagant still lifes, of which he was an acknowledged specialist.

Although posterity has somewhat forgotten him, his fame during his lifetime mus...